A French bar owner has played down newspaper reports that Robbie Williams was attacked in a brawl there and one of his friends was stabbed.

The singer was reportedly hit over the head in what was alleged to be a 20-strong fight at Le Gorille bar in St Tropez early on Sunday morning.

He had been staying in the area as part of a three-week holiday with former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell.

But the bar's owner, who did not wish to be named, told the UK's Press Association news agency that the incident was "minor".

She said: "It was nothing and over in minutes. It's the sort of thing that happens when people have a few.

It was nothing and over in minutes - the sort of thing that happens when people have a few

The bar owner

"No-one was hit over the head, no-one was thrown to the floor, no-one was stabbed as far as I know, and the police weren't called.

"As far as I know, Robbie Williams was there with some of his friends but I wouldn't know him. He's not really my era."

Williams, whose last single Rock DJ reached number one, later flew to Germany to perform at a concert.

Back in the UK, a handful of record shops opened in the early hours of Monday morning to stock his new album, Sing When You're Winning.

His record company threw a veil of secrecy around the launch, with store staff signing documents promising they would not let anyone see the album's cover until Monday.

"We've never known anything like it," said the HMV chain's Simon Winter.

"We've certainly never been asked to do anything like that in the past until now."

However, most of the promotion has been low-key, with record bosses hoping the dramatic video for Rock DJ - which shows Williams peeling off his clothes, then his flesh - will keep the singer in the limelight.